San Antonio Water Works Pump Station No. 2
historic place
The San Antonio Water Works Pump Station No. 2 is a historic place in San Antonio, Bexar County. Before modern systems, San Antonio relied on its rivers and acequias for water. To improve this, George Washington Brackenridge, who acquired the San Antonio Water Works Company in 1883, built this pump station in 1885. It served as an important expansion of the city's water infrastructure. The station's purpose was to pump water, significantly increasing San Antonio's supply. After its operational life as a pump station, the building gained new significance. In 1924, sculptor Gutzon Borglum used this former pump house as his studio. He designed and created casts for his monumental work on Mount Rushmore here. The San Antonio Water Works Pump Station No. 2 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. This site is historically significant for its role in San Antonio's industrial development and its connection to American art.